The present invention relates to a composite laminate for use in the paneling of walls, ceilings and other surfaces such as furniture and the like and, more particularly, a composite laminate having a lamina of natural facinq stone on the surface thereof.
Natural stone, such as marble and the like, is a highly desirable surface material due to its beauty, hardness and durability. Heretofore, use of natural stone as a facing materia1 has been greatly limited due to reasons of expense and weight. In order to overcome the foregoing disadvantages, U.S. Pat. No. 3,723,233 disclosed the manufacture of a laminate comprising marble bonded to a metal honeycomb structure. While the laminate of the '233 patent was less expensive and lighter than using plain marble facing, the product was still quite expensive and heavy. U.S. Pat. No. 3,963,846 discloses an improvement over the '233 patent in that the multicellular metal core is replaced by a multicellular paper core which is considerably cheaper to produce than the metal core of the '233 patent. While the improved product of the '846 patent is inexpensive to manufacture relative to the product of the '233 patent, the product fails to exhibit the necessary strength and fire resistance for many construction applications.
Accordingly, it is the principal object of the present invention to provide an improved composite laminate having a lamina of natural facing stone.
It is a particular object of the present invention to provide a composite lamina which exhibits the necessary strength and fire resistance for construction purposes.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a composite lamina which is relatively inexpensive to manufacture.
Further objects and advantages of the present invention will appear hereinbelow.